What do you eat before an early-morning workout?

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Replies

  • Grendel07
    Grendel07 Posts: 112 Member
    i usually do a piece of toast w/some peanut butter. Or I'll do 1/4 cup of oatmeal before a early morning workout
  • StillStrugglin
    StillStrugglin Posts: 43 Member
    Wow, these are sort of the worst replies ever. *lol* I guess it all depends on what sort of exercise you're doing, but OP was asking for suggestions, I think. :)

    Up until about 5 years ago, I too, probably would have said "nothing" but these days I find if I try to do any exercise without at least something in my stomach, it won't go well. I get all shaky and dizzy. Not good if I'm riding a bike or on a treadmill. Hence, my suggestion: banana and/or Atkins bar.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    Food!

    All kidding aside, I'm the same way. If I have a banana I'll eat that, a slice of bread and some peanut butter. Usually something small, but good.
  • beccamh
    beccamh Posts: 85 Member
    I need to have something before I run. I have half a piece of fruit (pear/banana/apple), a spoonful of raw honey and a big glass of water. When I get back I'll finish the fruit and drink coffee while I'm making breakfast.
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
    I have a protein smoothie - rice/quinoa protein powder, flax seed, chia seeds, hemp hearts (1 TBSP each) with unsweetened almond milk and some frozen peaches or mango (allergic to berries).

    I saw Jillian Michels on TV a couple of weeks ago saying that you should never exercise on an empty stomach. Not that she's always right.....but I have also heard this from other "experts". She said the whole thing about not eating before working out in the AM is old-school, they know now that it's not good for you.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I run fasted, or at least 95% fasted -- I drink 1/3 of a protein shake with a cup of coffee.

    I find that if I run fasted in the morning, I have more even energy and don't get a crash. If I have a few carbs prior to running, I tend to run out of gas.

    When I lift weights mid-day, I need to fuel with a balance of protein, fats and carbs. I don't think I could lift weights fasted.
  • CannibalisticVegetarian
    CannibalisticVegetarian Posts: 1,255 Member
    Mainly coffee or something light, such as a lean shake or maybe a granola bar. Eating before a workout gives me an awful case indigestion and the hiccups (Wish I was lying about that..)
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    a cup or 2 of coffee is all. I eat after I do my cardio in the morning. For lifting, which I do after work, I don't like to eat anything 2-3 hours before, otherwise, the meal sits at the back of my throat thru the entire session.
  • gblack771
    gblack771 Posts: 4
    You can go two ways with it. Consider either something non-greasy with some protein such as a cheese stick to help curb the sick feeling or to actually give you a small boost eat half a muffin. I am very aware eating only half a muffin is pretty much impossible, but eating a whole muffin before a cardio workout makes me feel bloated.
  • SunnySideofLove
    SunnySideofLove Posts: 12
    Sperm....does sperm count? My protein choice before 6am, just sayin.:bigsmile:
  • MzFiaSkinny
    MzFiaSkinny Posts: 9
    I eat an apple and drink water before my workout.
  • BattleTaxi
    BattleTaxi Posts: 752 Member
    I drink a lot of water when working out if I am at the gym, something about the air makes me feel more dehydrated than if I were doing the same thing outside, so I only eat a hard boiled egg; otherwise, I don't do well with food in my stomach before 7am.
  • JewelsinBigD
    JewelsinBigD Posts: 661 Member
    A protein bar- either a promax LS (at least half of it) or a dymatize elite - I try to stay under 200 calories
  • AnDiallo
    AnDiallo Posts: 131 Member
    I either have nothing or half of a banana.
    Then I have the other half with breakfast after working out. :)
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    I run most days. If I'm doing 15 or fewer miles, I don't eat anything beforehand. Before long runs and races, I tend to eat a serving of oatmeal with sweetened dried cranberries. If it's before a marathon, I'll probably have multiple servings and have nutrition to consume during the race.
  • ze_hombre
    ze_hombre Posts: 377 Member
    Lifting weights and non-cardio exercise benefits more from post-workout meals. Especially high protein meals. However, from what I have read the advantage is not tremendous. I can't speak much on this subject as I do not do a lot of weight training.

    Cardio is a bit different, though. I can speak to that point a bit more intelligently.

    For short runs (5 miles or less) I might have a banana or something but usually nothing but a couple glasses of water at least 30 minutes before I run. If I am aiming for 5 miles I will bring a Gatorade bottle with me (mainly because I live in the south and its humid as hell here, gotta stay hydrated).

    Longer runs I will have a Clif bar or something before I go and usually plan my run to have a convenience store stop half way to get a Gatorade and maybe a breakfast roll of some sort. I also make sure and have some carbs and protein the night before so my body can digest them overnight.

    What most people here do not mention is takes a while for any food ingested to actually be usable by the body for exercise. It takes an hour or two at least to convert carbs into glycogen for use by the muscles and carbs have the fastest turn-around digestion-wise. If you eat before you exercise (and are not doing endurance sports) you really do no good for the exercise, all you are doing is not giving your subconscious an excuse to stop.

    There might be a physical effect of running on a full stomach for some but I do not experience this so I am skeptical. Not saying its not real, I just have no experience with it. My wife swears she cannot run on an empty stomach but she is just now getting into distances where nutrition starts to play a factor and we have many things we can try before we prove this to be the case for her. However, even if we find that she can run on an empty stomach that is still hardly enough of a sample size to say for sure if its universal or even common.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    I like it when I can wake up early and work out first thing in the morning (it doesn't happen often enough), but I HAVE to eat before I do or I get very lightheaded and sick feeling. Do any of you have a go-to food that you eat before you work out early? Something that will give me fuel but not TOO many calories (I only get 1470 a day, and I eat about half of my exercise calories back).

    I eat 3 egg whites scrambled, with a tablespoon of low fat shredded cheddar, and half a banana. It's about 150 calories and seems to be enough for me. I fix a 300 calorie breakfast (give or take 50 calories) that I take with me to work and eat later.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Stingers would be pretty epic.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Nothing, but I do drink a cup of water. I want to burn those fat stores not sugar.
  • toinel
    toinel Posts: 28
    One banana, and a glass of Pineapple Juice.

    t
  • jazzygurl81
    jazzygurl81 Posts: 62 Member
    I only have some water. It makes me feel very uncomfortable to have anything on my stomach when I'm working out. Plus, I'm not hungry at 5:30am.
  • mjpTennis
    mjpTennis Posts: 6,165 Member
    If I am getting up early and doing a long workout, I will have a bagel with peanut butter just before bed. In the morning, I start with a black coffee and a tablespoon of unsalted butter (term "Bulletproofing" your coffee). Works wonders for me. If I am running for more than 12 miles, I will pack another bagel with peanut butter.
  • stunningalmond
    stunningalmond Posts: 275 Member
    I was wondering this same question. I get up at 5:45 and spin starts at 6:15. I went last time on an empty stomach and almost puked and passed out, so this time I want to eat something first, but not something that's going to make me feel full, then I'll end up barfing anyway. :p
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    banana and a cup of water

    I second this.
    I get up at 4:30 and I'm at the gym by 5:00. I don't want a bunch of mush sloshing around in my stomach, but if I don't eat something I start feeling like I'm gonna go facedown in the squat rack.

    I also have a casein shake with almond milk before bed. It helps me not feel like I want to eat a cow as soon as I wake up.
  • alexsaund1
    alexsaund1 Posts: 4
    Before my early morning 2 miles walk, i eat nothing but I drink a glass of water. Go and walk, sweat like crazy, return home, read the NY times, bathe and then have a hearty breakfast as they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The kind of breakfast I have varies but it always include fruits or a drink made from blending fruits and vegetables with some 100% fruit juice to give it body for blending and lots of ice.

    Thomas Saunders

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